


Calling All Angels

by MossadHuntinDog



Series: The Family's Soul [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Family, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 13:51:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1650926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossadHuntinDog/pseuds/MossadHuntinDog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She hadn't expected this. In fact, this had been the furthest thing from her mind when they'd met, back when she first joined the team as a liaison officer. And now, she couldn't imagine her life without him. And while he didn't have wings or a halo, he was certainly her guardian angel, and she intended to spend the rest of her life repaying him, loving him, the way he loved her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calling All Angels

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: NCIS, sadly, is not mine.

  _In twenty minutes, you'll be changing your name. You'll walk down that aisle and become his wife, forever._

"Ziva? Ziva!"

She turned from the window, her gaze torn from the beautiful gazebo Gibbs had made for the occasion. Sarah McGee, Tim's baby sister, stood in the middle of the room, holding the hair comb Ziva's mother, Rivka, had hidden away for her before she died. "Sorry." She moved from the window and slowly took a seat on the stool at the vanity. They were in Kelly Gibbs's old room- her father, Jethro, had left it exactly as it had been when she and her mother Shannon died- putting on the final touches before Ziva was set to walk down the aisle and marry Sarah's older brother, Tim.

Gently, Sarah put the comb into the dark curls; Ziva had forgone a veil, insisting that, since she was now a naturalized American, a modern woman, she didn't need a veil, nor did she want one. But she had insisted on her mother's hair comb- it was more precious to her than any veil. "You okay?" Ziva nodded, silent. Slowly, Sarah knelt until she could look up into her soon-to-be sister-in-law's dark eyes. "Do you not want to marry Timmy?"

"What? Where would you get an idea like that?"

"You just... you look sad." The agent sighed, taking Sarah's hand.

"I just... I always expected, that if I did get married, that _Ima_ would be here."

"Your mother?" Ziva nodded. It was Sarah's turn to sigh. Tim had told her of how Ziva's mother had been killed in a bombing in Ammon, back when Ziva was fifteen- and how her little sister, Tali, had died when she herself was sixteen. The siblings understood, of course. Their own mother had been killed when Tim had started college; Elizabeth McGee had died in a car accident, when a drunk driver swerved into her lane from the other side, and she'd swerved to get out of the way, wrapping her car about a pole and decapitating her instantly. It had happened two months after Tim graduated early from high school, four months after he'd been in his own accident; Tim had been sixteen, Sarah ten. It had devastated them, ripping their already frayed family apart. "Timmy says, that she's with you, here." She reached up, laying a hand over Ziva's heart. "We know because that's where Mama is, she's here, with us." She returned her hand to her own heart, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Sarah." Ziva whispered, wrapping the girl in a hug. Gently, Sarah pressed a kiss to her cheek, before getting up. She went to the door, hearing a soft knock.

"State your gender!" The person stayed silent. "Timmy, if that's you, go away! You can't see Ziva until the wedding!"

"It's me, Sarah." She turned, catching Ziva's eye as a blush filled her cheeks, and quickly, she opened the door.

"Sorry, Agent Gibbs. I... I'm gonna go check on Timmy." And without looking back, she fled. Gibbs chuckled, shutting the door softly behind him.

"You ready, Ziver?" She nodded, standing. Gibbs let his blue eyes travel over the young agent; her dress was perfect for her, and she was glowing with uncontained excitement.

"Yes, I... I'm ready." Her voice was soft, and he could hear the tears gently coating her voice. He went to her, taking her hand.

"Cold feet?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why would my feet be cold-"

"I meant, are you nervous?" He clarified with a soft chuckle. She took a deep breath.

"Oh. A little." She swallowed, meeting his eyes. "Do you think Tim is nervous?"

"Everyone's nervous on their wedding day, brides and grooms alike." He replied, letting her slip her arm through his. As they left the room, he cast one last glance around, thinking of his daughter. They made their way down the stairs towards the living room, she stopped, seeing her husband-to-be. He was standing by the front door, talking softly with Tony, while Sarah hovered near him. Abby was checking to make sure everything was set before the ceremony began. The younger woman turned, squeaking as she laid eyes on Gibbs and Ziva, and her brother looked up, his eyes lighting as they rested on Ziva's face. Just as Sarah opened her mouth, Tony took her arm, tugging her towards the backyard, where the wedding was to take place. Ziva turned to Gibbs.

"Give us a minute, Gibbs?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead, before following Tony and Sarah. Once they were alone, she moved towards him, silently, as though he were a doe and she a photographer, out for that one elusive shot that would make or break her career. "Tim?" He'd returned his forehead to the door, eyes closed, taking deep breaths. "Cold feet?"

His head snapped up at that, and he turned to her, and it was then that Ziva saw the tears on his cheeks. "A..."

"Oh, Tim." She went to him, reaching up to gently brush the tears away. Once done, she glanced behind her, before taking his hand and tugging him towards the basement door. Pulling it open, she tugged him inside, shutting the door silently behind them. They traversed the ten steps to the basement floor, flicking on the light as they went, and once there, took seats on the bench Gibbs used when he worked on his boats. In the last few months, the couple had brought pillows and cushions down to the basement when they came over to talk with Gibbs- first about their dating, and then about their engagement, and finally, about their wedding. Now, perched on clean, soft cushions, Ziva turned to her husband-to-be, letting her thoughts settle before she spoke. "Do you... not want to marry me?"

He met her gaze, biting his bottom lip. "It's not that, Ziva. I..." He stood, walking towards the stairs. "I just wish my mother was here." He kicked the bottom step in frustration. _"It's my wedding day! She's supposed to be here! She's supposed to be here to welcome you to the family, to... to give a toast and share a dance and... and tell you that it's okay to gang up on me with Sarah if you want to! She's supposed to be here and she's not!"_

Ziva listened, silent, realizing that he was voicing not only his fears, but hers as well. _"She's supposed to be here to share this with me, and she's not! She's supposed to be here so she can meet our first child and... and give us advice about being parents, and tell us that it's okay that we're making mistakes as a couple because we're doing them together... she's supposed to be here to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and... and she's gone... she's dead and... and I want her here, Ziva. I want her here..."_

Quickly, she got up, rushing to him and wrapping her arms tight around his neck. He buried his face in her hair, holding tight to her. She understood, better than anyone, at how heart wrenching this day was for Tim. Rivka wasn't here either, and Ziva had missed out on all the things a girl did with her mother to prepare for a wedding. She had missed out on all the things a mother did with her daughter, and not once, had she thought of how Tim had been dealing with this.

"I know, Tim. Believe me, I know." She soothed, gently tangling her fingers in his hair as she ran her other hand over his back. At that moment, she hated that drunk driver for what he'd done. She hated the person for jumping the median and causing the accident, and taking Elizabeth McGee from the world before she had a chance to see how wonderful her children had become.

She had missed Tim's college graduation- both from MIT and John Hopkins, his passing FLETC, his becoming an agent, becoming a successful author, their engagement, and their wedding... but Ziva also knew that Elizabeth had missed out on seeing what a beautiful, brilliant, successful, wonderful man her son had grown to be. He'd come so far, grown so much, since joining NCIS, that she knew Elizabeth would be so proud, were she here today. Just as Rivka would be of her.

"She _is_ here, Timothy." Ziva whispered, pulling away and taking his face in her hands. She gently brushed the tears away as they continued to slide down his cheeks. "In your heart." He took a deep breath. "She is here; she is watching you, remember? She is watching, and she is _proud_ of the _beautiful man_ you have become. The man I love, and the man I am going to marry."

He nodded, nudging his nose against hers, before kissing her softly. The kiss soon turned deep, and he wrapped his arms tight around her waist, pulling her closer. She tasted the salt of his tears, the pain of his heartbreak, and knew that he tasted the same on her lips. Her eyes closed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, unaware of the basement door opening or the footsteps on the stairs. _"What the hell are you two doing?"_

The pair broke apart, turning to see Sarah standing on the landing of the stairs, Gibbs and Tony behind her. Her mouth hung open in shock, and Gibbs was smirking good naturedly; behind them, Tony was laughing- which abruptly stopped when Gibbs smacked him sharply on the back of the head. Sheepishly, Ziva rested her head on his shoulder, and he sighed, meeting his sister's gaze. "Don't worry about it, Sarah. Ziva and I just needed to talk. We're okay now."

"Well are you okay enough to let her walk down the aisle or do you want to get married in the _basement_?" Sarah asked, not thrilled by the fact that her brother had seen his bride before the wedding. Tim chuckled, meeting Ziva's gaze.

"What do you say? Ready to get married?" She grinned.

"Only if I'm marrying you." Gently, she ran her thumb over his bottom lip. He thought a moment, twisting his mouth as he pretended to think.

"I guess I could marry you. You _are_ the woman I'm supposed to marry, right?" She gently smacked his cheek, before pulling away and rushing up the stairs, holding up her skirt so she didn't trip. Tim chased after her, stopping only long enough to whisper in his sister's ear. _"Hey, get back here!"_

_"You will have to catch me first!"_ Sarah watched in shock as her brother chased his bride through the lower half of their boss's house, down the porch steps and into the gazebo, where the few guests they'd invited for the small gathering were waiting for the ceremony to start. Gibbs and the others all watched as Tim grabbed Ziva around the waist once they reached the altar, lifting her off her feet and spinning her quickly around.

_"Gotcha!"_ She laughed, even as she pretended to struggle to get away.

"Timothy, _put me down_!" He shook his head.

"No way. Not until I slip that ring on your finger, and even then, I'm not letting you go."

"That a promise?" She asked as he set her on her feet and she leaned close to kiss him again-

The pastor cleared his throat, and the pair broke apart, suddenly surprised that they were in the gazebo Gibbs had built for the ceremony. Hurrying down the aisle, Sarah looked at the guests, struggling to think of an explanation for her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law's behavior. "Sorry everyone, they were down in Gibbs's basement, and... and..." She looked around, sighing. "And God only _knows_ how much varnish they inhaled from being down there." Tim glared at her, and Sarah glared back, before taking her place beside Abby at the altar. As everyone settled back in their seats, Tim released Ziva's waist, taking her hands in his.

"Sorry. Go ahead." Ziva blushed, meeting Tim's eye as the pastor started the ceremony. Sarah watched from her place beside Abby as her brother and Ziva shared an entire conversation during the ceremony, the subtle squeezing of hands conveying so much in such a simple gesture. When it was time for the vows to be recited- vows the couple had written themselves- Tony had to gently nudge his partner in the shoulder to get the younger man to break the gaze he'd locked with the former Israeli. Tim turned to the older agent. "What?"

"The vows." He furrowed his brow, turning back to Ziva, who was just as confused. Sarah reached around Abby, gently tugging on one of Ziva's curls.

"Ow. What is it, Sarah?" The bride hissed, turning to the college student.

"The vows."

"What vows?" Sarah groaned internally at the confusion in Ziva's eyes. It was always a bad idea for her brother and his fiancée to become lost in each others' eyes; they forgot about everything and everyone except each other, but it was especially bad considering that it was happening at their own wedding.

"The vows you and Timmy wrote for each other. _Remember_?" Ziva turned back to Tim, meeting his gaze before a spark of realization glinted in his green eyes.

"Oh, right!" The guests chuckled as Sarah shook her head.

"It's like watching two chickens hypnotize each other." She muttered, causing more soft laughter. But the laughter died down as Tim started, a blush tinting his cheeks as he glanced sheepishly at the pastor, who chuckled softly.

"I've spent... the majority of my career figuring out equations and writing codes and cracking passwords for NCIS, and I expected to keep on doing that. I expected to have my whole life planned out and have everything fall into place, like it had done since I was sixteen. But I never expected you. I never expected that losing one of our own would bring you into my life, but it did." Ziva teared up, thinking about Kate, and how her death had been the one thing that sent her and Tim on this course- even if they hadn't realized it at the time. He squeezed her hand, knowing what she was thinking.

"And suddenly, all my equations, all my codes and cracked passwords didn't help me. If anything, they made everything worse. Your arrival had thrown my perfectly ordered world into complete chaos, and I had no idea or backup program to stop it. And then I slowly began to realize that I didn't want to. I began to enjoy the chaos you brought into my world, and... and I can't wait for the next round. I can't wait for the next puzzle to solve, because next time, you'll be by my side, figuring it out with me. You'll be directing the chaos, and reminding me that my life isn't all codes and passwords and computer programs. That my life is more about friendship and family and love. And... that the best codes in life are the ones that are unplanned. That _love_ is unplanned, and..." He chuckled softly. "I plan on loving you for the _rest_ of my life, as long as you'll have me. Forever, I hope."

She squeezed his hand. _'Forever.'_   She mouthed, glancing at the pastor, who nodded with a soft,

"Go on."

Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze, and started her own vows. "I grew up doing everything my father expected of me; I became the dutiful Mossad officer, the assassin that carried out everyone else's orders except my own. And I did so, knowing that in my profession, living to an old age was impossible, and marriage, nonexistent. I lost so much in so few years, and then I stepped into the bullpen that day, and my life changed. My world changed. We became partners, and you... you are not just any partner, Timothy. I will always have your back, but I never realized how much I needed to until Ireland. And when we returned, you were there, having my back, even though we were home in America again. Even when everything turned dark, and everything precious to me was taken away, you were still there, holding me and telling me that everything would be okay, that I would get through it, that I was strong."

Tim squeezed her hand, sadness flashing through her eyes, as he realized what she was talking about.  "I wanted something permanent, and yet, everything I had ever had, had been taken away. But not you. Even when I thought I had lost you, you would surprise me and... I would yell and scream and hate you and then realize that you were there. That I had not lost you, like I had lost everything else. You have taught me that I do not have to do what everyone expects of me anymore, that I can do what I wish to do. That I can carry out my own orders, live my own life, love my own way. I can have something permanent, and know that it will always be there. That _you_ will always be there." She took a deep breath, tears glistening in her eyes. "You were never just any partner, _you_ are my something permanent. And I want to spend the rest of my life, carrying out the orders we set, _together_ , until the day I die."

He smiled softly, _'Always'_   forming between his lips, as he slid the ring onto her finger, and she did the same to him. Then, with a glance at the pastor, who nodded, he tugged her into his arms, kissing her. Cheers and clapping filled the air, and when they broke apart, Ziva tugged him down the aisle, out of the gazebo and into the sunshine. As the rest of the small wedding party cleared out the chairs and set out the few tables needed and the tables with the food for the reception, Ziva tugged Tim towards the steps of the back porch.

"I love you, Ziva." He whispered, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. She laughed, looking into his eyes. Her soft whisper caressed his name and those three little words, and she became lost in his kiss, only to feel him break away when the first notes of Donna Lewis's  _'I Love You, Always Forever'_ began to play. He moved away, tugging her with him. "Come on, we have a dance to share, Miss David."

"That's _Mrs. McGee_ , Tim." She replied, curling into his side as they returned to the gazebo. He chuckled, pulling her into his arms once they reached the dance floor. As they began to sway to the soft lyrics of the song, he asked searched her eyes, asking,

"Forever?" She smiled softly, nodding.

"Always."

He smiled back, before capturing her lips in a kiss.

As her brother and sister-in-law danced, Sarah stood back, suddenly exhausted. She let out a relieved sigh, happy that her brother had finally gone through with it. She knew this was hard on him; Hell, it was hard on her, but she knew that what he always said was true. Their mother was there, watching over them, celebrating with Ziva's mother most likely, now that their children were married. She glanced towards the ceiling, taking a deep breath. "Were you watching, Mama? Timmy did it, he got married. All he needed was a little push. Thank you, for giving him that push- even if it was Ziva who did the pushing. And thank Rivka, too. Her daughter's just as stubborn as my brother is. Which is why they're perfect for each other."

She turned back to the dance floor, meeting her brother's gaze. He smiled softly at her, his words popping into Sarah's head.

_"Tell Mom thank you for sending my guardian angel, for sending Ziva when I needed her today."_


End file.
